Immigration and Customs Enforcement
What Happens When Migrant Children Are Taken Into U.S. Custody?
The glut of stories surfacing about family separation and the increasing number of migrant children being taken into U.S. custody is deeply concerning. In the past, children detained in shelters had arrived at the border without an adult. Now, however, the U.S. government is making children unaccompanied by intentionally separating… Read More
Government Playing Fast and Loose With ‘Gang Member’ Label
There is no doubt that criminal gangs operating in the United States adversely impact the lives of many people living in communities throughout the country. However, in a nefarious act, President Trump is attempting to cast young people fleeing Central America as gang members—which is simply untrue. As the Immigrant… Read More
What You Need to Know About Immigrant Women Entrepreneurs
The United States depends on a growing private sector to remain strong and immigrant entrepreneurship is a key component to this growth. Immigrants are more likely to start businesses than their native-born counterparts. Though much has been written about immigrant entrepreneurs, far less is known about the specific role that… Read More
Local Limits on Immigration Enforcement Successfully Slow Deportation Machine
Immigration policies may be crafted on a national scale, under the purview of the federal government, but it is at the local level that immigrants live their lives. And it is at the local level that heavy handed immigration enforcement disrupts the lives of immigrants, as well as the lives of the native-born Americans with whom they work and reside. Read More
US Embassy Cables Reveal How Trump Officials Ignored Warnings About Ending Temporary Protected Status
In recent months, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has methodically ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for six countries, including over 300,000 people from El Salvador, Honduras, and Haiti. Newly revealed State Department cables now confirm that the Trump administration’s interest in ending these designations superseded stark warnings from… Read More
Government’s Detention of Pregnant Women Questioned by Immigration Groups
The government continues the appalling practice of detaining pregnant women, most of whom are seeking safety and protection in the United States. Following an official policy change by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), immigrant rights organizations filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request this week demanding the agency… Read More
The Trump Administration Is Placing More Long-Residing Immigrants Into Court Proceedings
For years, immigration enforcement officials prioritized recent border-crossers over long-time residents with U.S.-born children, clean criminal records, or other evidence of roots in the United States. This was done by exercising “prosecutorial discretion” in deciding against whom to initiate deportation proceedings. The basic idea was that scarce law-enforcement resources shouldn’t… Read More
Canadian Lawsuit Challenges the United States’ Designation as a Safe Country for Asylum Seekers
The United States has historically been viewed as a nation that welcomes refugees fleeing from violence and persecution in their home countries. Yet, the Trump administration recently reiterated its proposal that Central American refugees seeking asylum in the United States should instead seek refuge in Mexico. As these debates… Read More
Family Unity Is Threatened by This New Immigration Enforcement Policy
In a directive dated Aug. 29, 2017, which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement only posted publicly this week, the government significantly weakened safeguards for the rights of parents during the course of immigration enforcement. The release of the policy change comes amid growing concern that the Trump administration is… Read More
Yes, All Immigrants – Even Undocumented – Pay Billions in Taxes Each Year
Immigrants—both documented and undocumented—contribute billions of dollars in taxes to the United States every year. Immigrants who are authorized to work in the United States file the same taxes as any U.S.-native including local, state, and federal taxes. Unauthorized immigrants pay taxes as well, often using the Individual… Read More
America's story is an immigrant story.